Tears from the Moon
by nickyfullmetal
Summary: Prince Dark must coop with a few people he utterly dislikes to prevent the moon from crushing his homeland.   Who said being a prince was an easy task?
1. Chapter 1

**This story is completely experimental. I've taken much of artistic freedom here, twisting the Majora's Mask plot and adding characters that were originally absent.**

**Yet again I feel the need to add an OC, since there is not one decent female in the Zelda games, only damsels in distress. **

**However, I promise this OC will be nothing like Arien, and this Dark will differ from the one in 'Reborn'. **

**Please review, I need to know if I should publish more chapters.**

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"Prince Dark! There's a Hylian messenger asking for you." A soldier called out, slightly panting.

"For the hundredth time, tell that desperate woman I'm not going to marry her!" the prince growled angrily, and continued to pace in a fast tempo, forcing the soldier to run after him.

"It's…regarding something else." The soldier said in a quite voice, unwilling to upset his master.

The prince stopped his march, his long maroon gown waving behind him. He sighed deeply. "Where is he?" he inquired in a reluctant tone.

"He's in the royal hall." The soldier replied, regaining his breathe. The prince looked at the soldier with narrowed eyes, crimson slits that made the poor lad shiver.

"Dismissed." He said with a blank expression and the soldier saluted and took off. Dark was not a tyrant, but he was a rigorous commander. He demanded from his soldiers the exact same things he demanded from his self and he was a man of exceptional self discipline. His soldiers respected him more than they feared him, and he skillfully walked on the thin line between being an admired commander and a stern ruler.

He turned to the right and walked in the wide corridors of the castle, his legs leading him to the royal hall while his mind was fully occupied with many other things. A comprehensive military exercise was scheduled to the beginning of the following week and he was troubled with the many difficulties that aroused in executing such large scale operation. But when he entered the royal hall he cleared his head and gave his entire attention to the seemingly nervous messenger.

"How can I help you?" Dark asked with a tight smile, carrying himself representatively.

"Termina requested urgent aid from Hyrule. The matter they are dealing with… should concern you as well." The messenger said hesitatingly, avoiding the prince's curious eyes. "A representative is invited to a council meeting at Hyrule Castle, tomorrow."

"I see." The prince uttered morbidly, "Our delegate will attend this meeting." He promised and the messenger nodded shortly, bowed down and left the room. He sighed again; this day did not seem to go so well, and if he was correct with his estimations, it would only get worse.

A few moments later he knocked on heavy metal doors, waiting for a reply.

"Who is it?" a voice roared from behind the doors, so loud and low it made them shake.

"It's me, father." He replied in a softer tone than he usually used, and immediately came the answer, inviting him in. He walked into the spacious room, and a quick scan revealed his father sitting on the porch, reading a book.

"You've been extremely occupied lately with the military exercise lately." His father said a hint of disappointment in his voice. "What brings you here in this time of the day?" the man asked, lifting his eyes from the book to look at him.

"Bad news." Dark said tiredly, looking back into the yellow eyes that gazed at him, "A Hylian messenger arrived. Termina is asking for help."

"It was predictable." His father remarked, closing the book and placing it on the table, "The moon is closer than ever."

"Who should I send to represent us?" The prince asked for guidance.

"This matter is of great importance. I wouldn't leave it to the Hylian's incapable hands. You must go there yourself." The older man stated, caressing his red beard.

Dark sighed again. Indeed, this day was getting worse. "Then I should cancel the exercise." He said coldly, trying to mask his frustration.

His father stood up, almost seven feet of pure muscle and the vivaciousness of an adolescent. The prince looked at his father with awe and admiration; he was the best king this land could hope for. The king placed his hand on Dark's shoulder and looked at him thoughtfully.

"Hard times are soon to come. I trust you with the fate of this kingdom." The king said, gripping Dark's shoulder tighter.

"I will not disappoint you father." The prince promised, but his heart was not free of doubts.

The king attempted at smiling, but the result was far from pleasant; his aggressive features grimaced ungracefully, like a predator spotting his prey. "Well, prepare for your journey. I will handle the military exercise."

The prince smiled weakly, thanked his father and left the porch, marching to his wing. The following day would be long and tiring. He tried to avoid as much as possible diplomatic obligations, and preferred to deal with military issues and internal conflicts. Unfortunately, his father's sharp eyes noticed this tendency of his, and the king forced the young prince to delve into politics and gain diplomatic experience. More than he hated the pretence and the spurious, ridiculous formalities, he strongly distrusted Hylian people. And going to Hyrule Castle tomorrow caused him great discomfort. But it was the prince's job, and he would never disappoint his father.


	2. Chapter 2  Council

**Thank you so much for the reviews, you're awesome. **

**I have a vague plan for this story, but one thing is sure: you're up for some funny surprises. **

Prince Dark sat around a round marble table, staring at a random point in space while the other representatives mingled; he was after a long day of riding and had very little patience for things of that sort.

"Council, please take your seat." A voice requested, echoing from far away as the prince was completely unfocused, "Your attention is required as well, Prince Dark," the same voice rebuked him, and he saw Princess Zelda's gunmetal eyes staring at him. He straightened up in his chair and nodded reluctantly, paying attention.

"We have gathered here to discuss a matter of great importance," The princess spoke dramatically; she always was overdramatic in his opinion. "Termina had requested our aid, and we are obliged to assist. However, we are clearly in the danger zone as well. Not only Termina's fate is on the line, but ours as well." She paused, letting the councilors mutter a few words of concern "Look at the moon," she said quietly, looking up to the glassy ceiling above them. There it was, closer than ever, grinning at them evilly, ominously. "If we don't stop, it would destroy Termina completely and we won't be left unharmed."

"So what are you expecting us to do?" A whiny voice cried out, and the prince glared at source of it, Princess Ruto. Goddesses, did he hate that fish face.

"That's why I summoned you," Princess Zelda replied, relatively patient. "Does anyone want to suggest a solution, an assumption, anything?"

The room immediately became silent, and members of the council looked at each other desperately, waiting for someone to speak. Prince Dark looked questioningly at Darunia, the Goron king, the only member that he somewhat respected, but he only shrugged helplessly. "There's a reason why the moon is so close," He suddenly found himself talking, "Moons don't just fall from the sky randomly. Someone or something is manipulating it, so we have to find it and destroy it." He stated, his sharp voice cutting the silence in the room like a knife.

Princess Zelda looked at him with gratitude and he hoped it would not get the wrong ideas into her head. "As Prince Dark remarked, we must find the source of the problem." she said a little insecurely, "I searched the old prophecies for something of that sort, and they did mention a moon threatening to crush. However, more specific details can only be found in the Secret Scrolls, which I cannot read."

"No one can read this ancient language anymore," a child like voice remarked, and the prince shifted his gaze to the green haired girl known as Saria of the Forest.

"That's incorrect," Darunia spoke in his warm, deep voice, as he patted his mighty stomach. "I know of someone who can."

Darunia exchanged glances with Princess Zelda. "Someone who knows Termina very well." She said thoughtfully. A spark lit in her eyes and she starred at the one person prince Dark loathed the most; Link, the chief of the Hylian military forces.

The blue eyed soldier raised his eyebrows, questioning, while the princess stared at him meaningfully. His wonder changed to a scowl when understanding hit him. "Not him. Anyone, just not him."

"It's not the time for childish grudge," Princess Zelda spat, her pleasant features dangerously darkening, "We don't have much of a choice, unless you can come up with a better idea."

Link sighed heavily. "I don't know where to find him," he admitted reluctantly, "And he would never help us anyway." He added bitterly.

"Luckily, I know where he is," Darunia said with a smile, "We had a few problems with our volcano lately and he agreed to help us with it." He shared, drumming on his belly joyfully, "He's not as bad as you remember."

"Then when should go see him as soon as possible," Saria stated, receiving nods from everyone but prince Dark. He was puzzled until he became angry.

"Who the hell are you talking about?" the prince burst out, hitting his fist demandingly on the table.

"Barak of the Storms." Princess Ruto replied impatiently, giving him a degrading glare.

"He's still alive?" the prince wondered in a whisper.

"Even death wouldn't take that wicked wizard." Link spat venomously, grimacing his face.

"Since he is our best chance, I suggest you stop frowning." Princess Zelda hissed arms crossed over her chest. "First motion for the agenda; tomorrow we climb to Death Mountain to meet Barak of the Storms." She declared waiting for the members' answers.

"Aye." Said Darunia in his wall shaking voice.

"Aye!" Saria cheered, and princess Ruto's approval was next to follow.

"Aye," Impa spoke for the first time during the meeting, her voice so masculine it made the prince flinched. He was the next one to approve of the offer. Now everyone was staring at Link, who shifted uncomfortably in his chair, playing with the collar of his shirt.

"Aye." He uttered reluctantly, and Zelda closed the meeting, announcing the motion approved. Prince dark slowly rose from his chair, dragging his legs towards the door, when he felt a pair of eyes scanning him.

He turned around to face Link, staring back calmly into his icy eyes. The prince raised an eyebrow. "What?" he questioned in a moderated tone.

The soldier glared at him for a while, considering his words. "I don't trust you one bit. You are here because the princess…well, you know. I couldn't talk her out of it."

Prince Dark smiled gloomily, unsurprised by this confession. "I don't wish to be here at least as much as you don't want me here." He admitted bitterly.

A wolf like smile appeared on the Hylian's face, and a mischievous spark played in his eyes. "Leave the diplomacy to the wimpish loud mouths and let us run the army, you say." Link said with amusement and the prince nodded in approval. "I couldn't agree more."

"Our first understanding," The prince said cynically, with a lopsided smile, "Good night, lieutenant general Link." He said politely and walked through the door.

"Good night, Prince Dark," a mumble was heard, and the prince pressed his lips together into a tight smile, walking to his room.


	3. Chapter 3  Death Mountain

**So now you're going to meet the notorious Barak, (Barak is the Hebrew word for 'lightning'). **

**My previous stories had been utterly serious and often tragic. I'm trying to make this one a bit different.**

**As always, I will appreciate reviews, requests, criticism… raise your voice. **

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The prince cursed under his breath as they climbed up to the boiling hell known as the Death Mountain. Sweat trickled down his back, soaking his tunic, and on his forehead, threatening to drip into his eyes. He was a man of the desert, yet it was unbearably hot. The slope was steep and the path was slippery and demanded his constant, full attention. This climb was physically exhausting but he kept pushing upwards in a steady pace, maintaining his breath ordered and moderated, as he was perfectly used to this kind of treks. This walk could be bearable if the princess had not decided to join them.

Luckily for him, the Hylian soldier was responsible for the princess' safety and comfort, therefore having to carry her significant part of the road. In any other circumstances, Prince Dark would look at the scene gloating and laugh maliciously at the soldier's flashed, annoyed face. However, the princess made their progress slower, causing him to suffer from the heat for much too long, a scowl plastered on his shiny face.

They finally arrived at the mountain's peak, walking in a narrow tunnel quarried in the hard, reddish stone. The temperature rose even more, and the prince felt his skin burning and his bones melting but kept marching forward nonetheless. The princess behind him struggled to choke her cry, but advanced persistently with the help of her faithful guardian. The strong smell of sulfur hit the prince's nostrils, provoking a cough. He pulled his tunic's collar up to cover his mouth and nose.

The end of the tunnel revealed a rear, breathtaking sight causing the prince to gap in awe at nature's might; fizzing lava, erupting geysers, rock avalanches all immersed in the heavy fog of the sulfuric steam. "There he is." Link whispered behind him, and the prince followed his gaze to see a small figure, dressed in white, sitting on one of the cliffs.

They walked towards that figure, and just before they reached it a high pitched, slightly demonic laughter was heard. "Life is so predictable," the figure whispered softly.

"It's been a long time, Barak," Link said reluctantly, attempting at being friendly and failing miserably.

"Not enough, if you ask me," Barak answered cynically, his voice so pleasant and famine the prince could swear it belonged to a beautiful woman.

Link greeted his teeth but remained silent, and Barak spoke again. "I hope you have a good reason for interrupting my mediation."

"We came to ask for your help," Princess Zelda said, without her usual confidence.

"Who can refuse a damsel in distress?" he said laughingly, waving his hand, "I believe I can."

"But the moon…" the princess cried out, almost desperately when the man cut her rudely, "I've seen it too. I only wondered what took you so long." And with that he rose slowly to his feet, a lean, elegant body stretching underneath the layers of fabric. The man turned around in a graceful move, and the prince suppressed a gasp.

In front of him was the most delicate face he ever saw, surrounded by a straight silvery hair that went down past the man's waist, held loosely in a ribbon. The thing that stood out the most was a pair of violet eyes, that the only way to describe them was disturbing. The prince sensed the irony of being frightened by someone's eyes while he proudly owned a pair of dreadful crimson orbs, but Barak appearance could not leave anyone indifferent.

"So would you help us?" Link asked impatiently, his hand unconsciously gripping his sword's hilt.

"It seems inevitable," Barak sighed, his expression reluctant. "As much as I like to see havoc taking over, I just can't let it happen." He confessed in a sad voice, an evil spark shining in those demonic eyes. "Leaving this task to you is practically a suicide, since you're completely worthless and incapable," he told Link, and shifted his gaze to the princess, "and you're an hysterical female." He remarked and the princess flinched under his gaze.

"As for you, prince Dark," Barak's eyes looked on the prince's maroon orbs, "I know very little about you. If you're half the man your father is, you might be useful, but I don't get my hopes up." He finished with a cruel twist of his lips, and the prince silently stared back at him, masking his shock.

"You haven't lost your charm," Link commented cynically, looking at Barak as if he were a piece of feces dirtying his boot.

"If I had, I would be completely useless as a sorcerer, wouldn't I?" Barak outsmarted, placing his hands on his hips. Suddenly the earth started to quake, the geyser became even more restless and the lava fizzed angrily; the volcano was on the verge of eruption. Barak turned around to face the center of the volcano, making a sharp, cutting movement with his hand and hissed in a low tone. That very second the mountain seemed to calm down, and prince Dark could swear that even the temperature slightly decreased. Interestingly, Barak was not even sweating, while they were soaked with their own perspiration.

Barak turned back to face them, a certain glow surrounding him like an aura. The prince examined that man curiously, as arrogant as Barak may be, he could definitely justify some of his attitude. "Can you read the Secret Scrolls?" the prince asked, straight forward like he always had been. Barak stared at him with an unreadable expression, rubbing his chin, and the prince could not shake off the thought that the sorcerer would make a beautiful woman.

"I can read the ancient languages. But this is not the problem. The Secret Scrolls are written as a riddle, quizzical wording and references to many other sources. I rather have my eyes stabbed out by a Dragonfly than deal with these scrolls."

"I've searched everywhere. All the prophecies lead to the Secrets Scrolls," the princess said, regaining her confidence. "The answer is there. And if you want to stop the moon…"

"Yes, yes, I know." Barak cut her again, waving his hands impatiently. "I rather be crashed by the moon than hear your annoying voice."

The prince glanced at Princess Zelda who seemed on the verge of tears, her fists clenched tightly. Though he cared very little for the princess, prince Dark began to feel sorry for her.

"Our time is running out." The prince remarked, "You three can argue all you want, but please do postpone it to after we solve our problem." his voice was getting slightly louder, on the verge of losing his temper.

Barak looked at him thoughtfully, his amethyst eyes narrowed, "So where are we going?" he said in a business like voice.

"To Hyrule castle," Link said firmly, "You can use the royal library for your research."

Barak grimaced his face with obvious dissatisfaction. "I cannot work in the castle. The high walls, the noise of the town, the crowdedness; it makes me feel trapped."

The princess face turned into a worrying shade of gray while Link was seconds from drawing his sword and launching at the wizard. "You can stay at my castle," prince Dark stepped forward and suggested. "Our library is just as good, and you have more than enough space to wander in the endless desert surrounding us."

"The desert," Barak said softly, a strange glimmer in his eyes, "I do wish to see it."

"Then let's go," prince Dark said, turning towards the tunnel, "We're wasting precious time."


	4. Chapter 4  Desert

**I know you want the chapters to be longer. **

**This one is a bit short, but the next one is twice as long and I'll publish it tomorrow, or maybe even today.**

**I hope you'll be satisfied.**

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Barak was not the kind of person that you wished to stay close to, prince Dark had figured it approximately three seconds after seeing him for the first time. But the little show Barak put up in Death Mountain was nothing compared to the terror he spread in the castle.

Prince Dark tried to avoid the wizard as much as possible; this task was revealed to be unthinkably easy. For once, there was the prince's busy schedule, he was fully occupied with his duties and barely had a moment to rest. But mainly it was Barak's odd habits that ensured they would not run into each other. Barak woke up just before sunset, and went for a ride in the desert, returning to castle at nightfall. He then would lock himself in the library and work until noon time, when he sneaked back to his room for a few hours of restless sleep.

The few people he did encounter were scared forever. For example the soldiers that entered the library and as he claimed, made terrible noise. The prince rushed to the library when one of the servants informed him three of his soldiers were hanging upside down, by their toes, from the library's twelve foot ceiling. He had to shout at Barak for half an hour until the wizard agreed to let them down, literally letting them fall from the ceiling crushing on their faces. And there was that maid who accidently woke Barak up, she hid in her room for days with a chicken's beak instead of a mouth, until her friend decided to address the prince in that matter.

It seemed like inviting Barak to the castle was not a bright idea, but his father was pleased with the prince's action. For some reason the king held deep respect for the sociopath sorcerer, while all of his advisers saw Barak as nothing but a nuisance. For prince Dark, the sorcerer was a mystery, and quite hilarious addition to the grinding routine in the castle. He could not help but be impressed by the heavenly grace characterizing Barak's moves; he surely knew how to use his body. He was attractive and poisonous, and the prince was ashamed to admit that if Barak were a woman, he would be courting her.

It was one afternoon when the prince waited for the temperature to lower before riding to the desert, a regular check to make sure the flags that mark the way were still in their placed after a terrible sand storm. He encouraged his horse to gallop faster; expertly traveling in the desert, letting the dry wind hit his face. Nothing could resemble the sense of freedom he felt when he dashed through this endless open space, and for him the meaning of beauty was embodied in the reddish stones, the golden sand and the clear sky.

He followed the flags to the Spirit Temple, and seeing everything was in place he pulled the reins, turning his horse back in the direction of the castle. But then he saw a figure sitting on the temple's stairs so he continued towards the temple with a strong feeling of who it might be. As he expected, the wizard was sitting in the temple's entrance, looking at the red sun that lowered to kiss the sandy ground. A tiny grin morphed on the man's face as he spotted the prince.

Prince dark jumped off his horse and walked towards the sorcerer, his lips morphing into a tight smile. "May I join you?" he asked amiably, and Barak seemed surprised by his politeness.

"It's a free country." Barak replied, motioning the prince to take a sit beside him. The prince took a seat, looking at the sunset as well. They kept silence for a long while and the prince thought to himself that though Barak was sharp tongued and offensive, he was quite the person to be quiet with. When Barak was quiet he created serene atmosphere, radiating peacefulness and confidence.

"Do you like it in the desert?" prince Dark asked, and his voice came out slightly softer than he intended, making it sound almost like a flirt. He could feel himself blushing.

"I do." The sorcerer replied, moving a bang of silvery hair from his gentle face, "I never got to thank you for being such a kind host. I would have said you were the kindest, but since you were to only one who ever hosted me, this statement would have very little meaning."

"You're welcome." The prince waved his hand in dismissal, "You're a well known sorcerer, you're famous for your achievements. I cannot believe I'm the first to host you."

"I'm notoriously known, and famous mainly for being a schmuck." The Barak said with a grin, "I'm a persona non grata in most of the countries in the middle land, and utterly unwelcomed in various other places."

"Well, this is quite reasonable." Prince Dark admitted, rubbing his chin. "You spread terror and cause havoc everywhere you go. But no one can deny your talent." He continued, speaking quietly as if to himself. "By the way, how is it going with the Secret Scrolls?"

"Oh, I figured that out a while ago." Barak said casually, shrugging.

"And when were you planning to tell us?" the prince uttered, unable to hide his shock.

"Well, I wanted to wait until Zelda would freak out completely. I find her overdramatic character quite amusing." He admitted, picking at his nails.

Against his will, a smile morphed on the prince's face."So when are we going to die?" he asked bitterly, kicking a small pebble.

"We're not," Barak replied calmly, "As long as we have the Ocarina of Time, I can always buy us a few more days."

"That's reassuring." The prince confessed, feeling slightly more relaxed.

"That's me, giving hope and spreading optimism wherever I go." The sorcerer joked and the prince burst out in a healthy laugh, letting go of his usual seriousness.


	5. Chapter 5  Lost

**So this chapter is extra long (that's for you Darkwolflink1).**

**Enjoy :)**

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Prince Dark glanced at Barak's loathing expression as they walked through Hyrule castle's gates; this place did seem to put the sorcerer in an emotional distress. What was supposed to be glance seemed to linger, as the prince's eyes were still locked on the sorcerer's graceful features. The prince knew he had every logical reason to dislike that outrageously unpleasant person, but he could not help but be attracted to this mystery called Barak of the Storms.

The prince moved a stray bang out of his face; his raven hair already reached past his shoulders, and the bangs kept getting in his eyes. It was probably time for a haircut. He dismounted his horse at the royal stables, and walked toward the palace, where the council meeting was due to take place. "We're a bit early." The prince commented, after examining the sun's location in the sky, "I'm going to council room. You can join in later if you wish to minimize your stay in the palace."

Barak laughed wholeheartedly. "I'm not really masking my feelings very well, am I?" he remarked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his gown. Though usually the sorcerer wore light colored clothes, that day he was dressed in black, making him look even more inaccessible. Barak's face turned extremely serious all of a sudden, and he watched the prince with narrowed eyes. He stepped forward, stopping a few inches in front of the prince, and raised a hand to touch Dark's hair. The prince ceased breathing as the sorcerer examined his face thoroughly. "You should keep your hair long," Barak finally spoke. "It flatters you." He added with a wink, turned around and walked away,

The prince swallowed hard as the sorcerer left, unconsciously biting his lower lip. What was is about that man that made him so enchanting?

Prince Dark shook his head violently to get rid of all sorts of inappropriate thoughts. He then headed toward the council room, which was still empty, and stepped out t to the balcony observing on the gardens. Just as his thoughts began to stray again he felt a presence beside him. Knowing who it was, he let out a sigh. "The answer is no." he stated before his companion had the chance to speak.

"You're not even considering it!" princess Zelda accused him in an offended voice.

"Of course I'm not!" he replied in an annoyed voice.

"But that's for the best of both nations," the princess claimed, her voice lower, almost defeated.

"No. that's forcing something upon two completely different people, who hold great distrust towards one another. My people and the Hylian are not going the get along in our life time, princess, and you better recognize that fact. We should be thankful for the cold peace our fathers established." The prince said tiredly, as they were having another version of the same conversation they had a hundred times before.

Before she could open her mouth to protest, he spoke again, "These things take time, Zelda. You're a couple hundred years older than me, show some maturity and patience." He teased her with a pleasant smile on his face. "You do realize that this marriage will cause both nations misery, and turn us to miserable people as well."

"Do you think you'll be miserable with me?" the princess asked, and he noticed the sadness pooling in her blue eyes, turning them into a murky shade of gray.

He sighed, hating to be pushed into that corner. But he had to say it. "Zelda, you know you're perfect, and just because of that you're not my type." He explained to her, choosing his word carefully and trying to be a sensitive as possible.

"Well, if you keep complimenting me I might forgive your insult and not have you executed." She said with a playful smirk, the sparkle returning to his vibrant eyes.

"Deal with rejection, old lady," the prince rolled his eyes at her, and she smacked his shoulder with a surprising strength for a woman her size.

"So what's your type then?" she asked curiously, studying his face.

"Seeing that I'm still single, I guess I haven't figured it out yet." Prince Dark answered honestly, rubbing his head.

The princess faked a tragic sigh, and said, "Is it the delicate damsel, or the independent woman? Coy or rebellious? Chaste or kinky?" she bombed him with questions.

He rolled his eyes again, not bothering to answer when she added with a wink, "I've heard you already tried all the types."

"That is a complete lie!" he protested, turning to look at her with an offended expression, "I'm not like that promiscuous…wanton Link of yours. That's disgusting."

The princess let out a good laugh, "Goddesses you're so young and naïve." She commented, looking at him softly, "You should cut your hair, by the way. It's getting ridiculously long."

"I like my hair long," he stated, which was a complete lie since half an hour a go he decided to get a haircut as soon as possible, until a certain someone changed his mind. "Could we please stop discussing my love life and my hair and start that damned meeting already?" he cried out in frustration, leaving the balcony and entering the conference room.

Fifteen minutes later the room was occupied with all members of the council, seated in their places. Barak was present as well, though the prince, who sat in front of the door, could not remember him entering the room; he just appeared there. Princess Zelda opened the meeting and said "We would like to welcome an honored guest to this meeting. A great sorcerer that had agreed to assist us, Barak of the Storms."

There was a silence in the room, and everybody wore cold expression, nodding reluctantly. Barak walked to the round table with a blank expression, taking a seat between princess Zelda and prince Dark. "Would you care to share you latest discoveries?" the princess asked politely, as if completely ignoring how he mistreated her in Death Mountain. Prince Dark had to give her that; she knew how to play her role.

"Some idiot laid his hands on Majora's Mask." Barak said without enthusiasm. Seeing that none of the members understood what he was talking about, he began to explain, "Majora's Mask is an ancient magical object, holding evil, and dare I say apocalyptical power. It was used in religious ritual by ancient tribes, and once they understood the mask's hazardous nature and great power, they sealed it, fearing a catastrophe cause by its misuse." He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in, "This mask must be destroyed, for good."

"So that creepy thing is what drawing the moon so close?" Prince Ruto spoke, and prince Dark cringed at the sound of her annoying voice.

"Yes," Barak replied, surprisingly pleasant and controlled, "The mask is using the person that wears it to cause destruction and eventually, extinction."

"So how do we find that person and destroy it?" Impa asked in her rough voice, her arms crossed over her chest.

"That is still to be figured out," the sorcerer answered in a thoughtful voice, "I shall go to Termina myself and search for a lead."

"But we don't have time for wandering around and hoping the answer will fall from the sky," Princess Ruto whined, unaware to how ambiguous her sentence was. Prince Dark chuckled.

"Interesting discovery number two," Barak said soothingly, raising two fingers, "I can buy us some time with the Ocarina of Time." he assured them, and shifted his gaze to princess Zelda, who moved uncomfortably in her chair.

"The Ocarina was stolen…a few days ago." The princess said in a quiet, morbid tone, and the prince felt his heart missing a beat.

Princess Ruto let out a sob, and Barak expression transformed rapidly between shock, rage and madness. "You useless, incapable excuse of a princess," the sorcerer's voice got louder with every word. "You've just doomed us."

This time instead of bursting into tears the princess became furious. "Well, maybe if you didn't wait so long before telling us what you learnt, this wouldn't happen!"

"You dare to blame me, you ignorant, irresponsible woman!" Barak hissed. He did not have to shout, for the way he pronounced each word was so poisonous it was more than enough to break anyone's soul. "Obviously you couldn't keep a piece of shitty wood, since you can't even keep your legs closed!"

This argument had gone to a new ebb with each sentence, and prince Dark felt like he was caught in a prostitutes' skirmish in the lesser part of castle town. He rose slowly to his feet; his face grimaced in a dreadful way. Two slaps echoed loudly in the silence that fell on the room, both the princess and the sorcerer holding their burning cheeks. "You're a disgrace." He spat venomously, "You are responsible for an entire country," he addressed the princess, "And you, I expect more of someone as brilliant as you are," the prince looked at Barak with disappointed. "This is how you choose to solve your problems?"

The silence was so tense the air in the room felt thick. "We shall head for Termina then. And do it now." Link voice broke the silence.

"We?" prince Dark raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Yes. You, Barak and I." Link replied coldly, emotionlessly. "The meeting is over," he declared and focused his gaze on the prince and the sorcerer, "Go pack your bags, we're leaving in an hour.

Dark sighed heavily, but nodded in approval. Barak only shrugged, still looking shocked by the way prince Dark treated him. Prince Dark was the first to walk out of the room and the rest followed silently.

And this is how this heroic journey began.


	6. Skull Kid

**I realized that in all of the stories I've read, Dark never sneezed. Well, now he does.**

**The tension is going to increase in the next chapter so stay tuned, and comment!**

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"Are we close?" Barak asked in a whiny voice, slowly riding on his horse behind them.

"No." Link replied shortly.

"So this ride is going to last much longer?" his voice was desperate, and he massaged his sore back with his hand.

"Yes." Link was a bit impatient.

"And you sure it's the right way?" Barak question complainingly, looking at the sky for salvation.

Link halted his horse, and turned towards Barak, his sword drawn. Dark sighed and stepped in between them, looking at Barak tiredly. "I think it's better if you keep quiet for a while."

Barak scowled and pulled the reins, passing the furious soldier that glared at him with a desire to kill him. "It's a free country; I have the freedom of speech." Barak claimed, and both men urged their horses to follow.

"Well, if Link is going to murder you I'm not going to stop him." Dark warned the sorcerer. "I find you quite unbearable myself." He confessed and Barak revealed a row of shiny white teeth in reply, "You visited Termina many times before, shouldn't you know the right way yourself?"

"Din's fire! I'm sorcerer not a carter. I've never traveled on a horse before." Barak replied, still unable to believe he was making his way to Termina on a horse.

Dark chuckled softly, and turned his head to examine his surroundings; they rode through the Lost Woods, a place he heard of but never visited till that day. The trees were high, with broad trunks, and the way their bark was shaped disturbingly resembled human faces. The grass was in a deep, dark shade of green, the dew causing it sparkle. Being used to the aridity of the desert, this never-ending forest was an overwhelming sight. The forest even had its own scent, damp and thick, irritating his nostrils and causing him to sneeze occasionally.

Suddenly he felt his horse becoming restless, and a glance to the side revealed that it was not only his; something completely terrified the poor beasts. "Get off your horses," Link said quietly as he dismounted, gripping strongly his horse's reins. Barak and Dark did the same. They walked a few steps in the heavy fog, barely seeing each other, progressing carefully and slowly, sensing the danger. When the smoke cleared a little Dark heard Barak's quiet cursing.

In front of them stood a skull kid, a hideous mask covering his face, his arms crossed over his chest. A side glance to Barak's worried face confirmed his suspicion; the dreadful mask was the notorious mask of Majora. "I like your horses; I think I'll take them." The kid said in a squeaky voice.

Barak gave Link and Dark a deadly serious glance and mumbled under his breath "Don't do anything stupid." He stepped forward smiling wickedly and said to the skull kid, "If you think I'm going to travel to Termina by foot, you're so wrong. But maybe I have something else you might like."

The skull kid seemed to consider the sorcerer's words, and Dark began to hope they would manage to escape this unpleasant situation unharmed. In the corner of his eye, he saw Link drawing his sword with a furious expression on his face, and the skull kid immediately reacted, firing a green beam at the blond soldier. Barak was not late to intervene, aiming at Link and sending him flying to the side, saving him from the deadly looking beam but crushing him into a tree trunk.

The next attack was directed towards Barak, who skillfully defended himself and just then a flash of white light blinded Dark. A few moments later Dark regained his consciousness, opening his eyes to see Link and Barak hovering over him. His head was killing him. Once seeing he was fine Link and Barak began to argue again.

"I told you to refrain from doing anything stupid. And I couldn't think of something stupider than attacking an item of godly magical power with a sword!" Barak barked at Link, his eyes almost popping out of their holes.

"Well, you could definitely be gentler with that spell of yours; I was nearly killed by the hit." Link criticized him, looking equally angry.

"Nayru's Love, I should have let him turn you into a Deku scrub." Barak exclaimed waving his hands in frustration.

"Could you please shut your yaps?" Dark growled at them, "My head is killing me."

Barak stepped closer to him, looking at him closely. "That's because your head is bleeding. Let me see it." He said, kneeling beside Dark. Barak's fingers roam through his hair, on his scalp, searching the source of the bleeding, and for a few moments this gentle touch displaced the pain.

"Here it is. That's a nasty cut." The sorcerer determined, "hold it." He said, letting Dark hold bangs of his hair, parting it so the sorcerer could take a better look at the wound. He heard the sorcerer rummaging through his bag, and suddenly something cold and moist was gently smeared on his scalp, where the bleeding was.

"That should at least stop the bleeding." Barak said, getting on his feet. "I'll take another look at it when we reach Clock Town." He said, stretching an arm for Dark. Dark took his arm, and let the sorcerer pull him to his feet; as delicate as he may seem, Barak was quite strong.

Link was already mounted on his horse, looking at them impatiently. Almost blinded by the pain, Dark walked to his horse and climbed on it, urging his horse to follow Link. He glanced at Barak, who usually wore a smug, confidant expression but now seemed utterly troubled. The sorcerer felt Dark's eyes on him and sent him a questioning look, his eyebrow raised. Dark's lips morphed into a pleasant smile and he said "Thank you."

Barak waved his hand in dismissal, and grinned slyly, "If it was anyone else," he said, motioning with his head towards Link, "I would have let him bleed." Dark chuckled at the comment, but the serious expression on Barak's face made him feel slightly uncomfortable. The sorcerer did seem to favor him upon others, but Barak was so fickle and complex you could never be sure. Dark pressed his ankles to the horse's ribs, galloping faster and catching up with Link; the soldier seemed like nothing could possible shake him out of his cold remoteness. A large gash appeared on his handsome face, starting from his temple and down his cheek, where he hit the tree. It was better than then turning to a Deku Scrub, though.

The rode through the entire night, Link dictating a fast pace, allowing them short, rear breaks, just to silence Barak's loud protests. "Seriously, Link." He said, while taking a leak in front of a nearby tree, "You have to soften a little. I don't know about Dark, but I'm not an elite soldier, your demands are insane. You do realize it's the first time we stopped in over seven hours?"

Link said nothing but looked questioningly at Dark, who shrugged. "I'm use to long rides. And I really want to get to Clock Town as soon as possible." Dark said, holding his throbbing head.

Barak coughed something that sounded like 'traitor' but Dark wasn't sure. "Have you finished touching yourself yet?" Link questioned impatiently.

Barak snorted, and turned to face them once he was done, "Are you missing the days where it was you I was touching?"

Dark eyes moved franticly from the blushing soldier to the grinning sorcerer, not quite sure what was going on between those two. Link inhaled deeply, calming himself down, "Can we move already?" he growled at the sorcerer.

Barak rolled his eyes, and looked at them as if they were both mentally retarded. "Look at the moon, Link." Barak said calmly, "We've got three days, four days tops. Either we get the Ocarina of Time until then, or we die." He stated simply, seeming unbothered.

"Then why are we still here?" Link asked, furious.

"If we are going to have a shoot in getting the Ocarina back, it's going to be at the night of the festival, three day from now." Barak explained, shoving his hands in his pockets, "There is no need to rush." He summarized.

"And yet, let's get going." Link said defeated, looking tired suddenly.

Barak nodded, and climbed on his horse, and they continued to gallop through the woods, tired and sore, but determined. They left the woods behind them when the first sunbeams colored the sky in a glowing orange, and Clock Town was seen in the horizon. Dark sighed in relief; he could surely use a good rest and a shower.


	7. Tension

**This one is rather short, but it's sexy! The next one will be published soon enough, so hold on. **

**I working really hard on finishing 'Certain Shade of Gray', and I think it turns out to be my masterpiece. So if you liked Arien and Dark from 'Reborn', you should PM me and I'll mail you some chapters. **

**I remind you that comments, criticism and love confessions are very welcomed, so don't be shy :)**

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The large clock informed them it was eight o'clock in the morning when they entered the town, leaving their horses outside to graze the fresh grass on Termina fields. Link and Barak led the way in the crowded city, and Dark was too tired and in pain to pay any attention to his surroundings. They walked into an inn and Barak addressed the receptionist with a breathtaking smile, "We need three rooms."

"I'm sorry; we're completely booked in this period, before the festival." She replied with an apologizing smile.

"But we came all the way from Hyrule to get a glimpse of the Terminian beauty," Barak said in sweet voice, bluntly flirting with her. She blushed slightly and gave him a coy smile before saying, "I'll see what I can do for you" and disappeared behind a door.

Dark raised an eyebrow at Barak, surprised that he could be so charming. A moment later the receptionist returned holding two pair of keys. "I have two rooms available."

"That will do," Barak replied with his alluring smile, "You have my endless gratitude."

She giggled and asked, "How long will you be staying in the inn?"

"Three nights," Barak answered his voice less cheerful.

"That would be 150 rupees." She informed them gleefully, and Link started searching his pockets for the wallet, while Dark was too agonized to react. Barak sighed heavily, and gave Link a scornful look, throwing two silver rupees on the desk.

"So many years as a soldier and still no money," Barak said teasingly, putting his hand on Link's arm in a comforting way. Link shook his hand off, glaring at him, but said nothing. Barak shoved the purple rupee she returned him to his pocket, and waved the two pairs of keys.

"So…how are we going to split?" he questioned, eyebrow cocked.

Link wore a blank expression, and Dark who only wanted to get to his room said "I don't mind sharing."

"Great!" the sorcerer cheered, a bit too loudly for Dark's aching head, "Come my wounded prince, let the old grunting man have his own room." he added, throwing the keys at Link.

"We meet here at noon time." Link stated firmly.

"It's merely four hours from now," Dark said weakly, too exhausted to protest.

"Fine. Take another hour. But be here on time." Link said commandingly, leaving for his room. Dark walked up the stairs, and entered his room, dropping his bags on the floor. He took off his tunic and walked in his underwear to the bath down the hall, holding a set of clean clothes in his hands, and a towel. Giving very little attention to the steamy room, he undressed completely and entered the hot, fragrant bath.

He let his sore muscles relax, and sat down, leaning his back on the stony wall. He inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet scent of the roses scattered in the large bath, and thanked for his first moment of peacefulness in the past few days. He did not bother to open his eyes, since the room was so clouded with steam he could not even see the further end of the bath. He almost drifted off to sleep in the pleasant warmness of the water when someone touched his shoulder lightly. Dark tensed immediately, opening his eyes with a sharp gasp; he thought he was alone there.

A soft chuckle came out of the man in front of him, and through the steam Dark managed to recognize Barak's delicate face. The sorcerer stood in front of him, an amused expression plastered on his face and Dark could not resist the temptation to look down on Barak's body; lithe and lean, smooth and pale as porcelain, and so alluring.

Barak laughed softly and said, "Do you like what you see?"

Dark felt his cheeks burn, and turned his gaze from the sorcerer, trying to get control over his excited body. "Let me take a look at your wound." Barak told him calmly, changing the subject to al less awkward one.

Dark stood up; he was quite tall and the foamed water reached his lower waist, barely covering what had to be covered. He turned his back to Barak, who roamed through his scalp, moving his hair from side to side. Dark focused on breathing slow and steady; the feeling of Barak's naked body so close to him almost drove him out of his mind with lust. Being the attractive young man he was, Dark had experienced with both men and women, but this sorcerer aroused feelings inside of him like no other.

"The bleeding stopped. It seems to be healing nicely." Barak informed him, his hands moving from Dark's hair to his neck and down to his shoulder, squeezing them. "Din's fire, why are you so tense?" Barak whispered to Dark's ear, while pressing his body to the prince's back.

Dark swallowed hard, and any of his attempts to answer the sorcerer failed miserably as his voice was lost completely. Soon enough he lost the ability to think clearly as the sorcerer's soft hands roamed his chest and down to his abdomen. A weak whimper escaped his lips as the sorcerer's teasing had grown to be unbearable and Dark's face turned bright red, and even more so when Barak chuckled, burying his face in Dark's neck.

"Go get some rest, kid." The sorcerer said kindly and walked out of the bath, leaving Dark to stare at his naked body, unable to look away. Dark buried his face in his palms once the sorcerer left the room, and prayed for the goddesses it was just a petrifying nightmare. He was not a child anymore, and yet Barak had made him feel so embarrassed and helpless, paralyzed by the man's bursting sensuality.

Dark got out of the bath, and dried his body, putting his clean clothes on. He made the short way to his room praying that Barak would not be waiting for him there; his prays were answered as the room was empty. He threw himself on the comfortable bed, and within moments drifted to a much needed sleep.


	8. Hide and Seek

**Sorry for the long wait. Updates are going to be a bit slow now since I have a project in Linear electric circuits due to the third of January. **

**But after I'm done with it, I'm going to publish in my usual quick pace. **

Dark opened his eyes slowly, wishing he could stay in bed for eternity. His head indeed felt much better, but mentally he was unprepared for the task that was forced upon him; he never wished to be a hero, and would definitely prefer his relatively peaceful life in the castle. He got out of bed, rubbing his eyes, grabbed his sword and walked down to the lobby where Link was already pacing restlessly. It was quarter to one.

"Don't you ever sleep?" Dark asked in a tired voice. Link turned to look at him with blankly and before he managed to answer Barak's voice was heard behind them.

"Sleeping is for pussies." The sorcerer stated with a large smirk, walking towards Link, "A strong macho man like our Link," he said while punching Link's shoulder, "doesn't need this kind of luxury."

Dark snorted, looking at Link's raging face while Barak wore a smug expression; apparently he drove sick pleasure from annoying Link. "Let's get going." Link barked and the other men followed silently, letting him lead the way. Dark took a look around for the first time; clock town was not much different than the towns in Hyrule, but it was nicely decorated for the festival. They followed Link to the north part of the city, and Dark heard Barak gasp dramatically from behind. He turned to see what Barak's amethyst eyes were looking at, a large balloon shaped as the dreadful Majora's mask. With a furious hiss the sorcerer lifted his hand, firing a red beam at the disturbing object, blowing it up.

"Hey did you blow it up?" a child called out, walking towards the three of them.

"I did." Barak replied with self satisfactory.

"Not bad for an old guy." The kid said, looking at Barak with narrowed eyes, and the sorcerer was deeply offended for being called old.

"I'm going to talk to the Great Fairy." Link said coldly, giving Barak and Dark a degrading glare, "You can keep on babysitting."

The child gave him a nasty look, and Link walked away, unbothered. "I can tell you the secret code for the hideout that leads to observatory." The boy said excited, and Dark noticed how Barak's ears pricked as the boy mention the observatory. "But that won't be easy. You will have to pass my test."

"Speak." Barak said, curious.

The child look around, and yelled "Guys, line up!" and a moment later four more children joined him, standing in a straight row. "If you can find all of us by nightfall, I'll teach you the code." The kid said, challenging them.

"You really think I would play hide and seek with you?" Barak snorted, looking at them scornfully.

The child looked hurt and disappointed and Dark found himself saying. "I'll do it." Barak looked at him with cocked eyebrow and the boy cheered and instructed him, "Close your eyes and don't pick! Count until sixty and then start searching."

Dark nodded and did as he was told, slowly counting until sixty so they would have enough time to find a good hiding. When he opened his eyes, none of the boys was in sight, and Barak said dryly, "Four of them ran to other parts of the town, but you should check those bushes for the fifth one." The sorcerer motioned with his head towards the wild flora in the eastern corner.

Dark nodded and ran to were Barak had directed him, and dove head first into that hedge, landing on his hands and rolling gracefully to soften the hit. Indeed the first kid was hiding there, and Dark grabbed his arm before he managed to run away. Needless to say, the other four were not that easy to find. Clock Town was rather big with plenty of places to hide, and the boys knew that town much better than he did. However, Dark had the senses of a predator, he saw the slightest movement in the crowd, heard the weakest noise in the tumult, and he was quite lucky as well.

He found one of the boys by pure coincidence; he sat on a medium wooden box to fasten the straps of his boot tighter, when he heard breathing from underneath him. He opened the box to reveal a furious boy, flushed and sweaty from sitting in a box during that hot, sunny day. Another boy he spotted at the roof of the inn; he ran quickly up the stairs and the moment he reached the top, the boy floated down using a Cucco. Dark made the riskiest jump of his life, leaping off the three story high roof to the central plaza, landing like a cat and quickly raising to his feet to catch the evasive kid.

Those kids were incredibly fast and furtive, thinking quickly and using the town properties for their advantage. Dark found himself actually enjoying that game, and a great satisfaction filled him each time he found another kid. He ran after the last one through half of the town, and managed to catch him only because he recalled a short cut some other kid used before. He should up at the end of the boulevard, and he kid ran straight to him, still expecting Dark to show up behind him. "How did you do that?" the boy demanded to know in a whiny voice.

Dark shrugged his shoulders with a secretive expression and said nothing until the boy said, "Fine, let's return to the north part, where all the others gather." Dark followed him back to where they had began their play, strangely proud of himself though it was only a children's game.

When he reached the north part, Link waited there with a dark expression. "Please do explain yourself." The blue eyed soldier demanded coldly.

"I fell no need to report you, Link." Dark said calmly, standing up against Link for the first time. "What did the Great Fairy tell you?"

"Something about Observatory." Link spat, clearly displeased with Dark. Meanwhile the rest of the boys gathered and their leader addressed Dark, "You passed our test. And as promised, I shall teach you the secret code." He stated and the boys rearranged their position, standing in line with their backs to Dark, a number printed on each shirt. Dark engraved the code in his memory and turned to Link with a smug expression.

"Now that I got us the password, we can go to your observatory." Dark said to Link, "Are you still mad at my misbehave?"

Link shook his head and mumbled something incoherent, appearing defeated, while Barak seemed delighted. Dark, still filled with self satisfaction, led the way to the eastern part of the town, where the hideout entrance was located. Dark whispered the code to the boy guarding on the entrance and all three men went down the steep slope, careful not to skid on the slippery stone. It became drastically colder as they lowered to a underground hall, a disturbing scent of moss hitting their noses, they had to jump from one platform to another to avoid walking in the murky water. Dark and Link led the way, as Barak dawdled behind them, unsatisfied with the place. Dark felt something very wrong about this place, as if someone knew they were coming here, and prepared for them some unpleasant surprises.

He walked into a narrow passage and inner sense ordered him to step aside, thrusting his sword upwards to the dark ceiling; a huge spider fell trembling on the floor in his death throes, and Dark looked disgusted on the sticky liquid covering his sword. He tried to clean the sword on the spider's still trembling body, but this green colored liquid stubbornly clang to his sword and he noted to himself to clean his sword later.

"Good instincts, Kid," Link said with a tight smile, granting Dark a friend punch in the shoulder.

"Kid?" Dark raised an eyebrow, as the Hylian soldier seemed approximately his age. Barak snickered behind them and said, "Don't let his looks fool you, Link is actually ancient."

The blue eyed soldier twisted his lips into an unpleasant smirk, and asked, "How old do I look?"

Dark shrugged, and said hesitating, "In your late or mid twenties I guess."

The sorcerer and the soldier broke into hysterical laughter, and Barak had to support his body using the wall so he would not fall off his feet. "Dark, Link was in his twenties when you fifteenth great grandfather was still breast feeding."

Dark raised an eyebrow at them, not sure if he believed what he was being told. Barak saw his expression of confusion and started to explain, "You are familiar with the legends of Hyrule, Aren't you? Well, during all of Hyrule's wars and crises during the last five hundred years, the was only one hero, the Hero of Time," Barak said, without the slightest hint of cynicism or contempt, pointing at Link.

"Actually, there was only one princess as well," Link said, suppressing a laugh, "Zelda kept the title 'Princess' since she felt 'Queen' was somewhat pompous. But she isn't a prince for half a millennium." the soldier said with a wide grin, "We have been making fun of her for being a pedophile, courting some who is twenty times younger than her."

Dark felt his cheeks burn, as Barak and Link both giggled uncontrollably. "And what about you?" Dark inquired, his gaze lingering on Barak,unable to believe his boyish figure and flawless features belonged to such an old man.

Barak sighed deeply, rubbing his chin and replied, "As old as they are."

"That is absolutely ridiculous," Dark stated with a wave of his hand, "But we will delve into it once we leave this disgusting place."

and with that he marched forward, to enter another room with a large balloon floating near on of the walls, shaped exactly as the one they saw in north Clock Town, designed to resemble the Mask of Majora. It pooped a second later, when Barak aimed one of his magical attack at it, and revealed a ladder and a secret passage behind it. They climbed on the ladder and walked through the pathway, to reach the bottom floor of the observatory, an octagonal room with many boxes, jars and a surprisingly, a scarecrow.

Dark walked to the scarecrow, wondering why would this thing even be in the lower floor of an observatory, and jumped backwards with a gasp when the wooden man opened his mouth and talked, "Hey baby, do you wanna dance with me? When can forget time and dance until dawn..."

"I...I think I'm going to this tempting offer..." Dark stuttered, looking wide eyed at the scarecrow.

"Well, that's too bad, you should come by whenever you feel like dancing. I know of mysterious song that allows you to manipulate the flow of time..." the scarecrow continued to chat casually when Dark felt Barak's hand closing on his arm with a death grip. "If you play the song backwards you can slow the flow of time. If you play each note twice in a row, you can move half a day forward through time."

Barak's grip on his hand tightened even more, if that was even possible, "Are we going to be saved by a stupid scarecrow?" Barak whispered with a shaky voice. "He's obviously talking about the Song of Time. Which means what I found in the prophecies is accurate, we can probably go backwards through time with some kind of version of that song. Now we just have to find that damned ocarina."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go up to the observatory." Dark said with a new hope in his voice, leading them up the spiral stairs.

**...the rest is in the next chapter!**

**comment!**


	9. Moon's Tear

**So the adventure continues. I'm really focusing on the interactions between the characters so the plot progresses kinda lazily. **

**But it only means more chapters for you. Anyway, I'm in a busy period, and this story demands much attention, so keep commenting and motivate me to write!**

**Thanks to my loyal readers Darkwolflink1, Samswimmer and Icarus. **

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Everything was so brightly colorful, as if a hallucinating artist design the place after abusing certain type of mushrooms. They climbed up to the top of the observatory to see a stage in its center with a huge telescope on it. Barak gasped excitedly when he noticed the white haired man in blue robe that stood beside the telescope and his eyes shone like diamonds, causing the usually cynical face seem childlike. Dark mentally kicked himself, forcing his eyes to stop staring at the sorcerer's face, but his gaze kept shifting back to Barak, as if he was a magnet.

The old man noticed their presence, and once his eyes fell on Barak he smiled widely and walked towards them. "Oh my, it's such a pleasure to see you, my boy." the man said, embracing Barak in a tight hug while Dark and Link exchanged glances; was there really someone in this world that thought of Barak's company as pleasant?

"It's been too long, Marilyn." Barak said softly, looking at the man with admiration.

"Indeed. I see you brought some friends with you." Marilyn said in his crooked voice, motioning his head towards Dark and Link.

"This is prince Dark of the Dorf dynasty." Barak placed his hand on Dark's shoulder, and Dark tried not to shiver under the gentle touch, when flashbacks of what happened in the bathroom struck him. Marilyn nodded politely and Barak shifted his gaze to Link, "And this is Link, maybe you remember him."

the old man let out a wholehearted laughter, "I last saw you when you still played with a wooden sword." Marilyn said in a warm tone, and Link gave out a tiny smile. "What brings you here gentlemen?"

"The moon, the skull kid." Link replied in a firm voice, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That little trouble maker, came here a few days ago and threatened to break my instruments." the old man said angrily, "You can see him if you take a look in the telescope."

Barak immediately placed himself in front of the lens, skillfully adjusted the focus and range using the many buttons and livers. "What is he doing on top of Clock Tower?" Barak wondered loudly, and Dark studied his face trying to guess what he was seeing, "Something seems to fall from the moon!" the sorcerer said excitedly, before a loud crash was heard outside. A second later Barak left the telescope with a furious expression, "That bastard was mooning me!"

"It's probably a tear from the moon, you should go check outside," Marilyn advised them, caressing his long white beard, "As for being on top of Clock Tower, I was wondering as well. The only way to get up there is through the clock door, and that opens only at the eve of the carnival."

Barak looked at both of them meaningfully, "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"

Link nodded and so as Dark; the only chance of returning the ocarina would be on the night of the carnival, a few moments before the end of the world. Quite risky. Dark and Link went outside to see what caused the great explosion while Barak chatted with Marilyn; in a small crater lied a beautiful aquamarine stone, glowing strangely. Dark picked it up carefully, it was still pretty warm, and examined her closely; indeed, it was shaped as a tear. He exchanged worried glances with Link, knowing it could not be a good sign, and stepped back into the astral observatory, forcing Barak to stop his nostalgic chat and leave with them.

"Who is he?" Dark asked, once they left the observatory.

"Marilyn, was a great wizard. I was his apprentice." Barak said with a nostalgic smile, "As the years passed, he lost his interest in the living, and dedicated himself to research the stars. In my travels I often found him in places were interesting astronomic events occurred; it was expected to see him in Termina. However, he has no interest in helping us against the Skull Kid, he cares only for the moon."

They made their way back to the south part of the city, and Dark stumbled over some sort of plant that sprout from the ground. He cursed silently when he heard something flying over his head; a Business Scrub landed in front of him, and yelled at him for trying to steal his spot. Dark looked around helplessly while the angry Scrub rebuked him, glancing at the clock tower to his side. He apologized endlessly until the Scrub was pleased, and he shoved his hands to his pockets, suddenly remembering the moon's tear in his pocket. He slowly pulled it out, offering it as compensation and the Scrub started to hyperventilate.

"That stone! You must hand it over to me!" he exclaimed, pressing his palms together. "In exchange, I'll give you my spot here, Deku Flower included."

Dark shrugged; he really had no use for the stone, and the Scrub's enthusiasm was quite moving. He handed the stone to the Business Scrub, who in exchange granted him with a land title deed. "You really helped me. Now I have the perfect souvenir for my wife."

And with that the Scrub flew away, leaving Dark to stare at the paper he received from him, pondering over the strange encounter. "You're either very clever, or very lucky. In any case, I'm glad we took you with us." Link said in an amused tone. Dark raised a questioning eyebrow.

"This Deku Flower can take us up there," Barak said with a pleasant smile, pointing to Clock Tower, where the doors to the tower were located.

Dark grinned with understanding, and said, "Obviously I planned all of it out."

Barak chuckled and rested his hand on Dark's shoulder, giving him a strange look. "There's a good person behind those demonic eyes; attentive and caring. We're too old and bitter to notice or care, and you might be the one to save this quest." Barak said thoughtfully, and Dark felt his heart beating faster when the sorcerer looked at him with a soft gaze.

Link looked worriedly at the moon, who seemed horribly close that night, and turned to the other two men. "I guess we just have to wait for the carnival's eve," he mused loudly, "We can afford ourselves a visit to the pub, right?"

Dark and Barak looked at him with surprise; it was the first time Link suggested doing something that was considered fun. Before he might change his mind, both of them gladly agreed, walking towards the local bar. It was not long before Link had left their table at the pub to chat with a fine looking Terminian, a slender woman with golden brown hair and light eyes, leaving Dark alone with Barak.

"The old wolf went hunting." the sorcerer snickered into his glass of whiskey, looking curiously at Link's actions. "I'm glad I'm not sharing a room with him, I bet on hundred rupees he's going to have some action tonight."

Dark's ears turned slightly pinkish; he used to talk about these kinds of subjects with his friends, but for some reason when it involved Link or Barak, it made him feel quite uncomfortable. "You're acting like a virgin." Barak raised his eyebrow at him, as if reading his thoughts.

"It's just … I learned a lot about you two lately, and considering we shall have plenty of time together until this quest ends... it's just awkward." Dark tried to explain, his voice hesitating.

"Loosen up Dark. There's nothing wrong with having some fun." Barak added a wink, "Link and I went through many adventures, successfully, and we fooled around quite a lot."

"I'm not sure I want to know what 'Fooled around' means," Dark said with a shiver, moving the liquid in his glass from side to side. Barak laughed in a disturbing way and gave him a piercing look.

"I believe you will find out yourself, soon enough." Barak said with a sly grin, but somehow it sounded like a threat. "I'm going to see what I can fish," Barak told him, while scanning the crowd, "And I believe it wouldn't hurt you to do the same." the sorcerer advised, getting up and mingling in the people on the dance floor.

Dark sighed into his glass; this journey is going to be a lot harder than he imagined.


	10. Chapter 10  Family Issues

**So here's another, pretty dramatic, chapter. Updates will take longer than usual because I'm occupied with my academic duties. **

**Dark is starting to become the person you expect him to be, but it's a process and it takes time. **

**Enjoy his road for self realization. **

* * *

Dark slept alone that night, as Barak did not return to their room, but his sleep was rapidly interrupted by the loud moans from a nearby room, Link's room. Dark placed the pillow over his head, trying to block the sounds, his face burning red only at the thought of what might be happening at that room. Only at early morning it turned silent, and Dark finally fell asleep until loud knocks on his door tore him from his peaceful dreams.

"Come on, kid," Link's voice was heard from behind the door, "Get up. It's a bright sunny day outside."

"Go to hell." Dark mumbled underneath his blanket and turned over to adjust a better sleeping position. The door lock was being unlocked and Dark pulled the covers higher over his head. Someone uncovered the sheets, and gently shock his shoulder.

"Wake up. We're going for a walk and we would like you to join us." Barak's voice hit Dark's ears, soft and warm, and his eyes opened lazily.

"I barely slept thanks to mister lover over there," Dark complained, motioning with his head to Link, who stood at the doorstep. "Go on without me."

"We can't." Barak replied firmly, still holding Dark's shoulder. "It's a heroes bonding thing. You gotta hang out with us." the sorcerer explained and Link chuckled, "Besides, none of us slept tonight, and we worked harder than you did." Barak winked, giving Dark a naughty smile.

"Fine, get out. I need to get dressed." Dark huffed, sitting in his bed and rubbing his eyes.

"I've seen you naked already." Barak said calmly, raising an eyebrow. Dark blushed in many shades of red, but returned the sorcerer a firm look.

"And yet, you will respect my privacy." Dark said sharply, regaining some of his old self. Barak raised his hands in surrender and left the room, allowing Dark to slip into a duke blue tunic. He joined them at the lobby and they went outside to search for breakfast. The usually sleepy town was caught up in a frenzy; the following night was the night of the festival and the preparations were reaching a climax. People ran in the streets with a determined expression, carried logs of wood around, built stages and stands, cleaned the town and mostly looked happy and unworried. Dark looked around with wonder; are they absolutely retarded or do they choose to live in denial?

They sat on the soft grass in the north part of the town, each holding a foot long sandwich and devouring it hungrily. Barak wiped some sauce from the corner of his mouth and swallowed the bite before saying, "You heard quite a lot about us, but we know very little about you."

Dark shrugged, "There is very little to tell. Nothing too interesting."

"You aren't a Gerudo." Link stated, spitting food everywhere, and Barak nodded his head in frustration, "You look nothing like your father."

Dark frowned, he was not keen on answering these questions. "My father was wounded in one of the wars. He is unable to... reproduce." Dark replied, the answer leaving a bitter taste on his tongue.

"You're not a common elf either," Barak said thoughtfully, "And I find it hard to believe your father will adopt an elf."

"I wasn't adopted. I was ...made." Dark said quietly, looking everywhere but at them. He could imagine the wondering faces of his companions and continued, "They manipulated samples of my father's flesh and blood, isolating the genetic characteristics. Then they inseminated a female with it."

Link seemed completely repulsed, horror in his eyes, but Barak appeared more interested than anything else. "Who are 'they'?"

"My father and his former chief sorcerer." Dark said casually, forcing himself to enjoy the rich taste of the sandwich, "My father is a capable wizard and Sheryl really was a genius."

"What happened to Sheryl?" Barak asked curiously and fearfully, his eyes wide and sparkling.

"Sheryl died while giving birth to me." Dark answered in a distant tone, his red eyes dull and mat, "There were complications." he added offhandedly.

"That is one hell of a sacrifice in the name of science." Link said with appreciation. Dark gave him a blank stare, and said, "It has nothing to do with it. She did it because she loved him."

"That's what your father tells you." Link teased him with an evil smile. The next second Link was nailed to the ground with Dark's knee at his chest, and Dark's hands around his neck, chocking him. Dark's mind was empty of logic, all he felt was animalistic rage and strong urge to hurt Link as much as possible. Dark did not know how strong he really was, because he never attacked a man in such manner; Link was starting to gurgle underneath him.

"Dark!" Barak yelled at him, trying to yank him off Link's body. Almost unconsciously Dark swung one of his arms backwards, elbowing Barak in the face. Barak's cry snapped him out of his madness, and he eased the grip on Link's neck allowing him to breathe.

"Don't you ever speak that way about my parents, if you value your life." Dark spat, and got off Link, turning around to see Barak's bloody face. It was really saddening to see his gorgeous face damaged, and Dark felt ashamed, and angry at himself for hurting the gentle sorcerer. However; his pride prevented him from apologizing and he turned his back to the two surprised men and walked away, troubled. He spent the day without them, just wandering around lost in his thoughts, hoping he did not ruin all chances to friendship with his partners. Link was definitely out of line with his comment, yet he should have controlled his emotions, and not let anger get the best of him; he acted like an angst filled adolescent. When he returned to his room late at night he was surprised to see Barak in there, sitting on the bed, reading a book peacefully. His face looked as perfect as ever, and Dark sighed in relief; only a closer look revealed a slight swelling in the nose area, but nothing too bad.

Dark walked to the bed, his hands in his pockets, "I'm really sorry for the ..."

before he managed to finish his sentence Barak cut him roughly, "Forget about it." his tone was harsh, and he did not bother to raise his eyes from the book.

"No." Dark said quietly, his eyes locked on the wooden floor, "I acted inappropriately. And I'm sorry for hurting you."

"Well, It's really nothing." Barak said in a soft voice, raising his violet eyes to gaze at Dark, who felt his knees slightly shaking. "You definitely caught Link off guard. You're pretty strong." he commented, his eyes examining Dark's body bluntly.

"I was furious." Dark sighed, dropping to sit on the edge of the bed, removing his boots.

"I was glad to see you in other mood than your polite, good tempered self." Barak commented with a smirk, "Considering who we are facing, we could use a killer on our side."

"I'm not a killer," Dark protested, flinching, while struggling with the buttons of his tunic.

"By the end of this adventure, you will be." Barak promised in a ominous tone, "Or you'll be dead." he added matter-of-factly. Dark slightly paled at this statement, and pulled the tunic over his head, hoping Barak was wrong. "I thought you didn't want to change in front of me." the sorcerer remarked coolly.

"Nah," Dark said casually, "You already saw me naked," he added with a smirk, and slid under the covers.


End file.
